[T50_Omaha8]

I would have to agree that having a nice camera matters less than most people think. Take some time to understand whatever camera you get, and take some time to read about photography before your trip.

For eg: if you want to take a picture of something far away and it's not very light outside, flash will usually only hurt your picture (by illuminating objects other than the subject and also by causing the camera's shutter to open too quickly). You should instead turn the flash off and try your very best to anchor the camera against something (like a rock, a wall, jamming it into your face, etc) to ensure it does not shake while the shutter stays open for longer to adjust for the low light.

There are tons of little tricks like that, and they are a cheap, rewarding way to make your pictures turn out much better than they would by shelling out a hundred extra dollars.